Reports indicate that a tragic incident occurred in the Gaza Strip where at least 26 Palestinians lost their lives and around 175 were injured while they were heading to collect food. The Hamas-run health ministry along with witnesses have provided these figures, but Israeli authorities have contested these numbers.
According to witnesses, the Israeli forces shot at crowds who were approximately 1,000 yards away from an aid facility managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, supported by Israel. A Palestinian journalist informed the BBC that a large group of Palestinians had congregated near the aid facility close to Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, when Israeli tanks arrived and started firing at the gathering.
The Israeli Defense Forces released a statement stating that they have no confirmation of any casualties caused by their gunfire at the Humanitarian Aid distribution center. They mentioned that they are currently investigating the incident to get a clearer understanding of what transpired.
“It is false and fabricated. All aid was distributed today without incident,” the GHF said. “No injuries or fatalities as noted in our daily update sent out earlier. We have heard that these fake reports have been actively fomented by Hamas. They are untrue and fabricated.”
The GHF has denied previous accounts of chaos and gunfire around its sites, which are in Israeli military zones where independent access is limited.
Smoke rises following an Israeli army bombardment in the Gaza Strip, seen from southern Israel, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP)
Israel and the U.S., which also backs the foundation, say the new aid system seeks to prevent Hamas from taking away aid. Israel has not provided any evidence of systematic diversion and the U.N. denies it has happened.
U.N. agencies and major aid groups have refused to work with the new system, arguing that it violates humanitarian principles since it allows Israel to control who receives aid and forces people to relocate to distribution sites.
The U.N. system has struggled to bring in aid after Israel recently slightly eased its total blockade of the territory. The groups say Israel’s restrictions, the breakdown of law and order and widespread looting make it extremely difficult to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
